


Deeper Conversation

by kymchi



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Jealousy, Just gals being pals, Platonic Relationships, Sleepovers, Unrequited Crush, physical comfort, this is really tender i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:40:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kymchi/pseuds/kymchi
Summary: Late at night, Naoto gets an unexpected text from someone who needs to talk.Or: Naoto and Rise bonding together like they deserve.
Relationships: Kujikawa Rise/Shirogane Naoto, Shirogane Naoto & Kujikawa Rise
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	Deeper Conversation

The room was silent save for the shuffling of papers and the occasional scratches of pen.

Ping. 

It was a quiet night, one that Naoto experienced quite often these days. Right before going to bed, she would recount her thoughts throughout the day and perhaps review some past cases.

Ping.

Yes, nothing would bother her or break through her focused mind on these nights. Her only thoughts were zeroed-in on what she needed to be doing.

Ping.

Clutching her pen and narrowing her eyes, Naoto huffed in exasperation and willed that annoyiing sound to disappear.

Ping.

Naoto groaned, and stood up to defiantly face her opponent: her cellphone resting on the kitchen counter. Alright, you win this time.

Hearing her joints pop, Naoto stretched before trudging to her phone, wondering who in the world could be bothering her at this hour.

Ah, of course.

KR| hiiiiii naoto-kunnnnn (≧▽≦)/

KR| wanna chat??? :3

KR| actualy cn u come over????

KR| pls pls pls pls plssssss its importnt 人(_ _*)

Naoto tsked before looking at the clock. 23:30. Odd. Rise rarely reached out to her like this, especially not after 21:00. Could there be a problem? 

However, looking at the various emotes and the informal style of Rise's messages, it certainly seemed as if Rise was alright. She doubted that she would reach out to her of all people if she had a problem. Naoto concluded that Yu, Yukiko, or Kanji would all be better candidates for that situation. 

Perhaps... Was Rise just reaching out to her as a friend? It was unlikely, but knowing her, that could certainly be a factor. It was a Saturday night; there would be no school tomorrow. Surely it would be alright for her to go over for whatever Rise needed, right?

She typed out a speedy "C U SOON" before going over to pack up her notes and files. It was a cold night, so she slipped on her coat before heading out. 

She straddled her bike before kicking back the stand and turning the engine on, kicking off for her trek to the distant Inaba shopping district.

The brisk wind immediately began to seep into her, and her breath appeared in front of her in little wisps. But looking up at the clear, dark sky filled with stars, she couldn't help but smile to herself as she began to ponder the situation. 

It had only been a few months since Naoto had officially joined the Investigation Team in October, but it was odd how quickly she had begun to fit into the group. The other members went from distrusting her completely to... openly accepting her. As if they were all comfortable with her as their friend. It was hard to believe, in all honesty. She was trying her best to fit in and act as part of the group, but she was reassured quite often by everyone, telling her that she didn't need to change. 

Naoto smiled to herself. She had friends. Friends that had painstakingly risked death in order to bring her to safety. She supposed that this visit to Rise would be a small instance of her returning the favor.

Aside from Yu and Kanji, Rise was probably the closest to her after she got rescued from the television. Sure, they had a rocky start at first, with Rise being the most openly hostile to her aside from Yosuke. However, Rise had warmed up to her quite a bit afterwards; she even did everything that she had in mind in order for Naoto to become more comfortable with her identity, even if the sentiment was a little pushy. She had appreciated it, however.

After a while of thought, Naoto spotted the tell-tale streetlights of the shopping district, with Marukyu Tofu just up ahead. Discreetly parking her scooter near the shop, Naoto sent a "HERE" to alert Rise of her arrival.

KR| yayyyyyy!!! (〃＾▽＾〃)

Before she could slide the shop's door, Rise came bolting out. She barreled into Naoto and practically squeezed her. 

"Ri-Rise-san! Please let go!"

Rise giggled, before pulling away. "Sorry, sorry. I just missed you!"

Naoto deadpanned, "We just saw each other at school earlier today."

Rise dismissed her with a wave, and suddenly gave her a bright grin, which, strangely enough, didn't seem to reach her eyes.

Before she could say anything or even finish taking her shoes off, Rise grabbed Naoto's hand with a, "C'mon c'mon!" and rushed her upstairs, with Naoto's stumbled protests following. 

"Oh don't worry about my grandma. She sleeps harder than a rock."

It wasn't until they came through a door that Rise dropped Naoto's hand, and the latter, flustered, readjusted her hat before sighing. As she tipped her hat back, Naoto took the room in.

It was very... pink. The walls were beige, but the curtains, posters, vanity, and the bed itself quickly made up for that. It was extremely messy as well, and Naoto fought the urge to pick the clothes up from the floor in order to be put away properly. However, she was Rise's friend; it may be disrespectful of her to do so. So instead, she settled on standing awkwardly in the doorway, wondering what to do next.

Until Rise sighed, and pushed her onto the bed.

"Geez, if you're gonna be here, at least try and look comfortable."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Rise-san, but... why am I here?"

Rise puffed out her cheeks, "Can't I have a girl's night in peace? I wanted to talk so I brought you here, that's all."

Naoto shook her head, "I-If you wanted a 'girl's night', couldn't you have asked Chie or Yukiko-senpai instead?" She lowered her head, "They'd fit the role better, wouldn't you think?"

Rise put her hands on her hips, "No, because I wanted you, silly. You're my friend! And plus, we definitely need to hang out more." Having said that, Rise took no time falling back onto the bed, plopping herself down and making Naoto jump. 

As she fell back, Naoto noticed her state of dress. She was in her pajamas, with a purple tank top pulled over with fluffy, light pink pants. She had white slippers to acccomodate the look as well. In place of her usual twin tails sat two neat braids.

Both the act and her appearance only added to the idol's childishness, but Naoto couldn't help but think that it added to her charm, as well.

The silence has gone on for a while, even for Naoto's terms. She looked down at the girl, whose gaze was fixed onto the ceiling. Rise noticed her stare, and lightly shook her head out of her thoughts before giving a strained smile. 

"Aw, I kinda wished you had come in your pajamas."

"Now why would I do that?"

Rise chuckled, "Not sure. I guess since it's so late. Also because I'd get to see your potential hidden fashion sense." She turned over onto her stomach and rested her chin on her hands, "You never know what some night clothes could reveal!"

"I highly doubt that being in sleepwear would reveal anything," Naoto sighed. Then, deciding to humor her, "Unless bunny slippers doesn't quite do its job."

"Ha! You should definitely let me buy you some. I think they'd look cute on you." Rise smirked, "What a shame though, since everything else already does the trick."

Naoto felt herself turn red, and she pushed her hat down, "S-So it seems..."

She nearly yelped when her vision brightened, and the next thing she saw was Rise holding her cap in front of her, grinning ear-to-ear. "Come on, I want to see your blush!"

"Rise! Give it back this instant!"

Rise stuck out her tongue, but reluctantly passed the hat back to its owner, which was then taken back with a huff.

Naoto smoothed out her hair before placing the accessory onto her head, making sure that it fit snugly. Out of her peripheral vision, Rise was biting her lip.

"Ah, Rise-san? Is something wrong?"

The other didn't answer, only leaning back against the pillows on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She fiddled with her pajama pants, picking out stray pieces of lint on them.

Naoto, not knowing what to do in this situation, stiffly looked around the idol's room once again as she waited for her to answer. A few posters of "Risette" were hung up onto the walls, and a few magazines that she was featured on were stacked in a neat, small pile on top of her vanity. 

Did she say something wrong...?

Then she heard a sniffle.

When she looked back, Rise was already wiping at her eyes, but her actions were futile as her bottom lip quivered.

"Rise-san...?"

Rise let out a nervous laugh that edged closer to an exhale, and brought her knees to her chest. "Sorry. I shouldn't be acting like this on our girl's night." She lifted a hand and played with one of her braids. 

Naoto could only give a confused hum. This change of pace with Rise was... very odd, to say the least. The silence was stifling, and she felt very uncomfortable. Should she do something...?

Rise beat her to the chase, "You know... I was always pretty jealous of you, Naoto-kun."

"Wha- Me?"

Rise released the hold on her legs and turned to look at Naoto fully. "I mean, yeah." Her gazed hardened, "You never really had to try, you know? I mean, of course you tried. A lot. But..." She sighed, "You only tried for what you wanted. You had no idea about what you were doing to people."

"I fail to understand what you mean."

"I mean that people our age were always in awe of you, Naoto-kun! No matter what you did everyone would see you in this kind of light that you weren't even aware of!" Rise tightened her grip on her bed sheets. "You didn't have to try to charm people. You didn't want to! It's not fair! You never had to wear makeup, or act cute, or make your voice higher or anything! I don't get it!"

Naoto could only sit in bewilderment. She had heard people criticizing her, but not like this. She steeled herself: "Where is this coming from?"

Rise wiped at her eyes again, her cheeks reddened with tear marks. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say any of that. I'm just... tired, Naoto-kun.

"I'm tired of trying so much. Not a day went by since becoming an idol where I felt like I could just be myself. There was always something in the back of my mind that told me that I had to appeal to people to make them like me." Rise had scooted closer to her friend, almost slumping into her, but not making contact.

Her voice was fragile, ready to break. "Why can't he like me, Naoto?"

Naoto understood. She now fully sat on the bed, awkwardly leaving her stance to appear as open as possible. Rise took the hint, and laid her head onto her friend's shoulder. 

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

She let out a small hum, playing with her own hands. It was a few moments before she answered, "I saw him earlier today after school. On the riverbank. With someone else. Hugging."

"Do you know who he was with?"

"Does it matter? He wasn't with me." She leaned further into Naoto before continuing, "I always kinda knew. That he doesn't see me like I see him, I mean. I was always clinging to him, asking him to stay. He... He never responded to it. Not even once. But there was always this voice saying that he was just playing hard to get, and that I had to try even harder." She sighed, "But... I knew. And I was fine with it. Until today. It hurt a lot more than I expected."

From this distance, Naoto could smell Rise's strawberry-scented hair, and she idly pondered the fact that she had never been this close to anyone before. Deep inside her, she felt the kindling feelings of wanting to stay just like this for a long while. But from this angle, Rise looked so small. It hurt her to see her this way.

"Senpai is quite a strange person, isn't he? For him to not notice you, I mean."

Although Naoto couldn't quite see her face, she was certain that Rise smiled at that.

"Rise-san, you display a great amount of compassion to a level that I would not be able to compete with. I can tell how much you are able to brighten up other people, and you take time to care both about and for other people. You have so many valuable parts to you, and they are all Rise. Please, do not undermine yourself when it comes to romantic endeavors."

She didn't know if she said the right words, but it was what she had wanted to say ever since she saw Rise's determination in the case. After she finished, Rise didn't say a word, but lightly held onto Naoto's hand with slender, cool fingers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I understand that it may take time for you to move on. But I will be here, and everyone else will, as well. You're important to all of us."

The two had sat there for a while, with Rise leaning against Naoto, hand in hand. After a few minutes, Rise squeezed again before untangling her fingers and sitting up. 

"I... I think I needed this. I've been bottling things up too much. I guess I just needed someone to talk to, and for them to listen." She smiled and weaved a finger through one of her braids, "I don't know, somehow I knew that I'd feel better if I talked to you about it." She paused and looked at Naoto in question, "Anyway, want to sleep over? I have a spare futon in my closet! Oh, and pajamas!"

"Ah, but-"

"Come on, don't be so modest! It's late, and I'd hate to send you home at this hour!" Rise had already gotten up from the bed and started digging in her closet for the spare futon. Naoto just sighed, not surprised by her friend's stubbornness. 

In less than two minutes, Rise had already arranged everything- the futon as well as some spare pajamas and an extra toothbrush. Naturally, Naoto thankfully accepted it. As she was pushed into the bathroom, Naoto reflected on everything since she was invited her. As she pulled over the -admittedly cute- pajama top, she realized that her bond with Rise was a lot closer than she had thought. She smiled; Rise regarded her as a close friend, close enough to have short-noticed sleepovers and be confided in about her heart-brokenness. The situation with the idol and her senpai was very unfortunate, and Naoto couldn't help but feel sympathy. She couldn't imagine the thought of wanting the affection of someone who was dearly admired, only to be ignored. 

Senpai was a very dear friend and a strong leader, indeed. However... Naoto had some doubts when it came to the communication department. She could only hope that Rise could break away from her dwellings. 

Although she understood the cause of her vent, Naoto could still feel the underlying pieces of hurt after Rise's outburst. She had said that she didn't mean anything she said but... She had clearly been thinking about this for it to be kept in like this. Was she really viewed like that? Perfect and charming? And was she that oblivious about it?

She had gotten a multitude of... romantic letters in her school locker, and that had aggravated her to no end, to see people she did not even know fall for a persona and not want to delve in beneath the surface. But she had only thought of these actions from a handful of people, not from a large portion of the school.

Sighing, she took her cap off and looked in the mirror at her new attire. The pajamas were a bit long, as Rise was a few inches taller than her, but they did the job nonetheless. As she reappeared in front of Rise, the girl practically squealed before clinging onto Naoto. "You look so cute! This was such a good idea."

"I do hope that I wasn't invited with ulterior motives, Rise-chan."

"Pfft, of course not!" Rise giggled, before gaping. "You called me Rise-chan."

"Ah, did I? I apologize."

Rise frantically waved her arms in front of her and shook her head, "No no no don't apologize! It was cute! Seriously, being called that from you makes me happy."

"Ah, well..." Naoto didn't know what to do with her hands, until Rise grabbed them and pulled her into a hug. 

"I'm really sorry about what I said. You're a wonderful person and all of that stuff about attracting people doesn't matter at all. You're so much more than that and you deserve to be understood. Promise me you'll forgive me."

Rise was holding her incredibly tight, and Naoto struggled to breathe, but her words made all protest fade away. She smiled, and returned the embrace. It was admittedly a little awkward for her, but it seemed like Rise certainly didn't mind, who only squeezed tighter with a breathy laugh.

"I'll be able to get over some guy, I swear."

The two shared the hug for a while, but Naoto began to lose all signs of caring about physical contact, even slumping forward a bit. The weight of the night crept up on her, and she felt her eyes droop closed.

"Hey, Naoto?"

"Mhm?"

"Thank you."

Naoto held her closer.

"Of course."

**Author's Note:**

> Oh no I'm tender ;-;
> 
> Whilst writing this, I was listening to Mitsubachi by Mili the whole time, and it made me think about how similar Rise and Naoto are, despite being opposite sides on a lot of spectrums (spectra?). They both have their own brands of people-pleasing, and want to be both accepted and respected for the kind of people they are in a world filled with critical viewers. 
> 
> Also, hmm, I wonder who dear senpai was with...


End file.
